POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
2022 BMW 540I Recalls
Safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA that cover this model year
Data refreshed
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecall campaigns
1 campaign cover this model year — what the defect is, what it could cause, and what the remedy is
What a recall is
- Safety recall
- A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
- Safety investigation
- NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
- Manufacturer communication
- Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and it is not a recall.
Driveshaft to rear differential connection failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on September 1, 2026 (dated August 5, 2026), requesting an investigation into an alleged defect in BMW rear differential assemblies. The petitioner alleges Model Year (MY) 2022 BMW 540i vehicles are experiencing a sudden mechanical failure that severs the drive connection between the driveshaft and the rear wheels. On August 12, 2026, BMW filed Safety Recall 26V525, which addresses the same condition raised in the petition. and covers certain 2022-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles. This safety recall addresses potential wear in the connection between the rear driveshaft and rear differential, which could cause the connection to fail. The Vehicle Identification Number included in the petition falls within BMW’s recall scope and subject to BMW’s reimbursement program. Because Safety Recall 26V525 fully addresses the concerns raised in the petition, further investigation is unnecessary. Therefore, ODI is denying this Defect Petition and closing this action. The agency will continue to monitor the remedy and reserves the right to take any action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — recall campaigns and safety investigations
Data on this page last refreshed .